System and method for generating a graphical user input interface via an associated display

• US 7,779,364 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kodimer, Marianne, Su, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele; Meseker
• Application Number:
  US11/684,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 345/173, 345/168, 345/22
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The subject application is directed to a system and method for generating a graphical user input interface via an associated graphical user interface. Data representative of a user input interface from storage. Preferably, this data includes graphical representations of each character associated with a standard QWERTY keyboard, inclusive of modified characters. The retrieved graphical data is then used to generate a user input interface on an associated touch screen. The user then selects a character from those characters displayed via the touch screen. The selected character is then displayed to the user in an associated data field.

Claims

1. A shift free keyboard input system comprising:

a document processing device operable to complete at least one selected document processing operation on an electronic document;

a controller associated with the document processing device, the controller including a processor and associated memory, the controller operable to commence operation of the document processing device to perform operations based on user-supplied character input; and

a display generator operable to concurrently generate alphanumeric and symbolic keyboard indicia on a touch-screen interface of the document processing device in accordance with an operation of the document processing device requiring alphanumeric and symbolic user input as determined by the controller, the keyboard indicia including a user input area including a plurality of letter entry keys and a plurality of non-letter character keys arranged in a standardized keyboard layout;

each of the plurality of non-letter character keys including an adjacent, concurrently viewable non-letter character key corresponding to a secondary character associated with a shift thereof on a standardized keyboard, on the standardized keyboard layout such that each function is available concurrently via a single keystroke selection and a separate input without selection of the shift key.

2. The shift free keyboard input system of claim 1 wherein the user input area is comprised of a touch screen, wherein each of the keys are formed on a sub-area thereof, having an associated visual indicator corresponding to the standardized keyboard layout.

3. The shift free keyboard input system of claim 2 wherein the standardized keyboard layout includes one of a QWERTY layout and a Dvorak layout.

4. The shift free keyboard input system of claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of non-letter character keys is disposed along a row above the letter entry keys, and wherein each adjacent, concurrently viewable non-letter character key is disposed along a row above the row of non-letter character keys.

5. The shift free keyboard input system of claim 4 wherein the plurality of non-letter character keys include numeric input keys.

6. The shift free keyboard input system of claim 2 wherein the touch screen is unable to process concurrent key inputs.

7. A method of generating a shift free keyboard input for document processing device control comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic document in to a document processing device operable to complete at least one selected document processing operation on an electronic document, the document processing device having a controller including a processor and associated memory;

commencing, via the controller, operation of the document processing device to perform operations based on user-supplied character input; and

responsive to the step of commencing operation of the document processing device, generating alphanumeric and symbolic keyboard indicia on a touch-screen interface of the document processing device in accordance with an operation of the document processing device requiring alphanumeric and symbolic user input as determined by the step of commencing operation of the document processing device, the keyboard indicia including a user input area including a plurality of letter entry keys and a plurality of non-letter character keys arranged in a standardized keyboard layout;

wherein each of the plurality of non-letter character keys including an adjacent, concurrently viewable non-letter character key corresponding to a secondary character associated with a shift thereof on a standardized keyboard, on the standardized keyboard layout such that each function is available concurrently via a single keystroke selection and a separate input without selection of a shift key.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user input area is comprised of a touch screen, wherein each of the keys are formed on a sub-area thereof, having an associated visual indicator corresponding to the standardized keyboard layout.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the standardized keyboard layout includes one of a QWERTY layout and a Dvorak layout.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of non-letter character keys is disposed along a row above the letter entry keys, and wherein each adjacent, concurrently viewable non-letter character key is disposed along a row above the row of non-letter character keys.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of non-letter character keys include numeric input keys.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the touch screen is unable to process concurrent key inputs.